We see that you have a post code search directory identifying solicitors on the Clydesdale conveyancing panel. Do firms pay you a referral fee if I retain them for our conveyancing in Southampton?
We are a listing service only for law firms wishing to communicate if they are on the Clydesdale conveyancing panel or other lender panels. We do not charge referral fees to any conveyancer that you subsequently appoint for your conveyancing in Southampton.
My uncle passed away last year and as sole heir and executor I was left the house in Southampton. The house had a small mortgage left on it of around £4500. I want to transfer the title deeds into my name whilst I re-mortgage to Nottingham, pay off the mortgage. Is this allowed?
If you intend to re-mortgage then Nottingham will insist on your using a conveyancer on the Nottingham conveyancing panel. Here is link to the Land Registry online guidance around what to do when a property owner dies. This will help you to understand the registration process behind changing the details re the registered title. in your case it would appear that you are effectively purchasing the property from the estate. Your Nottingham conveyancing panel solicitor pays the new mortgage money into the estate, the estate pays off the old mortgage, the charge is released and you become the owner and the Nottingham mortgage is registered as a charge at the Land Registry.
Various internet forums that I have come across warn that are the number one cause of obstruction in Southampton house deals. Is this right?
The Council of Property Search Organisations (CoPSO) has noted the conclusions of a review by MoveWithUs that conveyancing searches do not figure within the common causes of delays during the legal transfer of property. Local searches are unlikely to be the root cause of holding up conveyancing in Southampton.
The deeds to my house are lost. The conveyancers who conducted the conveyancing in Southampton 5 years ago have long since closed. What are my options?
Assuming you have a registered title the information relating to your ownership will be held by the Land Registry with a Title Number. It is easy to execute a search at the Land Registry, find your property and order up to date copies of the property title for a small fee. Where the property is Leasehold then the Land Registry will usually hold a certified copy of the Registered Lease and again, a copy can be obtained for a small fee.
My cousin has suggested that I use his lawyers for conveyancing in Southampton. Should I choose my own solicitor?
Much as we are happy to recommend a Southampton conveyancing lawyer the best way to select a conveyancing practitioner is to have recommendations from friends or relatives who have previously instructed the firm that you are contemplating using.
I’m about to sell my basement flat in Southampton. Conveyancing lawyers have not yet been instructed, but I have recently received a half-yearly maintenance charge demand – should I leave it to the buyer to sort out?
The sensible thing to do is clear the invoice as you normally would as all rents and maintenance charges should be apportioned as part of the financial calculations for completion monies, so you should recover the relevant percentage by the purchaser for the period running from after the completion date to the subsequent invoice date. Most management companies will not acknowledge the buyer until the service charges have been paid and are up to date, so it is important for both buyer and seller for the seller to show that they are up to date. Having a clear account will assist your cause and will leave you no worse off financially.
I inherited a basement flat in Southampton, conveyancing was carried out February 2009. Can you let me have an estimate of the premium that my landlord can legally expect in return for granting a renewal of my lease? Comparable flats in Southampton with over 90 years remaining are worth £190,000. The ground rent is £45 per annum. The lease comes to an end on 21st October 2087
With just 62 years unexpired we estimate the premium for your lease extension to be between £17,100 and £19,800 as well as plus your own and the landlord's "reasonable" professional fees.
The suggested premium range that we have given is a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we are not able to advice on the actual costs in the absence of detailed investigations. Do not use this information in tribunal or court proceedings. There may be other issues that need to be taken into account and clearly you should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you take any other action based on this information without first getting professional advice.